High Energy Theory Seminar: "Bit Threads in Space and Time"

Mon, 02/05/2018 - 14:00

Matt Headrick (Brandeis University)

Bit threads are a reformulation of the Ryu-Takayanagi holographic entanglement entropy formula that offer several conceptual advantages over the standard minimal-surface formulation. After briefly reviewing the basic bit thread story, I will explain how to extend them in three interesting directions. First, I will show how bit threads offer a novel proof of the "monogamy of mutual information" inequality for holographic entanglement entropies, and how the proof suggests a very specific entanglement structure for holographic states. Second, I will explain how to include higher-derivative corrections. Finally, I will explain how to make bit threads covariant, reproducing the Hubeny-Rangamani-Takayanagi formula.